Busker of the Day: Matt Turk

A folk plea for universal mercy, sung in the crystal clear voice of veteran Americana wordsmith, Matt Turk, sets the tone for the eleven tracks on his latest work, Cold Revival. At heart and soul, Matt Turk is a folk singer, and here he dives headfirst into personal territory, writing about “relationships, losing and gaining them and the redeeming power of love,” Turk is a singer who has harnessed vocal firepower and presents his personal spin on life, couched within the sounds and ideas of sixties folk music.

So, what is sixties folk music? Take a moment and think about the soundtrack of the Sixties. It was one of radical political change and protest, racism, the New Left, Black Panthers and Vietnam. Music, ever present, was there to capture and preserve the era. During this time, a new form of folk music evolved. It was referred to as the second folk revival, which is meant to distinguish it from earlier forms of folk music. The Folk Revival, as it came to be known was a blending of influences, a fusion of genres, giving rise to terms like folk rock, folk metal, electric folk, etc…Folk music, whether traditional or one of the myriad ‘revival’ styles, share some commonality; it commemorates historical and personal events and it is a remembrance of things gone by. And it is here amidst ‘folk genre’ ideas and sounds, mandolin, fiddle, cello and lyrics of depth and substance, that Turk soars. He inhabits the songs with bruised emotion, searing wit and restraint.

The title track, Cold Revival, is a patient menace of impassioned notes and massive production value. It is a love song, but one that transcends the boundaries of individuals to embrace the entirety of the human condition.

If I listen to my heart/I won’t be unsatisfied/ If I shelter within fear/ I will never hold you near/I know we are broken and in need of repair/Young lovers and young soldiers, lead us through this war/Caught between the crossfire of extremists, there's no middle.

The heartrending Quiet Day is the story of a lifelong relationship between husband and wife, which ends, as all things must; this time in death. As he sits with her and she passes away, he engages in a reflection that is as vividly clear as a photo shopped image of ocean waves. His grief is palatable and the clarity, in which he conveys it, is a testament to his troubadour spirit and impeccable storytelling abilities.

We live in a small way/Hoping for a quiet day/She is my honor/She sets me free from all the weight bearing down on me/All I want is to live out my days peacefully/Live in a small way/On a quiet day.

In Her Smile is a piano laden tapestry of rich emotion, punctuated by remarkably dynamic and focused electric guitar sprawls. Turk relaxes into the sound with grace and composure, as easily as he settles into ukulele and accordion backdrops.

Cracked Egg is the lead off track on the CD. In it, Turk gives us irreverence and real world heartache, cycling between each as easily as if he was punching keys on his PC.

All the kings’ horses and all the king’s men/But I won’t pretend I can put it all back together again/Days without money are like nights without lust/It’s a music box losing loves melody.

The Ballad of Reuben, is a standout track; both musically and lyrically. Notes laced with the regrets of time and ‘what can’t be undone.’

I felt I had no voice/I would do anything to change what happened that day/And then I did the unthinkable/What can’t be undone.

Ultimately, Cold Revival feels like an unbroken slow dance through one man’s soul. Turk pulls the dance off triumphantly and cuts straight to the heart. You won’t need Wikipedia to catch the message.­­­­

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